According to Ayan Sherimbek kyzy, a psychologist at the Republican Center for the Control of Hematogenic Viral Hepatitis and HIV in Kyrgyzstan, quality psychological support is crucial for people living with HIV. She emphasized the need to regain motivation and the ability to adequately assess the situation in order not to give up and to seek paths to a full life.
Ayan, is it difficult to work with people who have HIV?
- According to modern criteria from the World Health Organization, HIV infection is considered a chronic disease, comparable to diabetes or hypertension. People with this diagnosis simply need to plan their lives more carefully. If they follow medical recommendations, they can live to a respectable age. Nevertheless, psychological support for such individuals is extremely important.
What is meant by support? We, psychologists, must be ready to listen, understand, and accept a person as they are, without judging their actions. It is important for the patient not to close themselves off but to open up, seeing us as allies, especially if no one knows about their diagnosis. We try to discuss various options for resolving the situation, gradually leading them to the thought that it is possible to change it. Over time, people accept their diagnosis and adjust to life.
Many patients initially cannot accept their diagnosis and themselves with this illness. They often feel shame and blame themselves for contracting HIV. For example, one of my patients experienced intense feelings of shame and could not understand how someone with her education could become infected. She was afraid of what others would say and whether her loved ones would accept her.
If a person does not accept themselves and their illness, it can lead to serious psychological problems: self-esteem decreases, self-confidence is lost, sleep and appetite are disrupted, and aggression appears. Ultimately, the overall health condition deteriorates.
Moreover, some patients may find themselves on the brink of despair. One woman who came to me for a consultation admitted that while waiting for the results of a repeat test, she was already preparing for the worst. She even brought a sharp object with her to end her life if the result was positive. "I didn't want to hurt my loved ones," she said.
Fortunately, our doctors noticed that she needed help and referred her to me. We talked a lot, and she realized that HIV is not a death sentence. Accepting her diagnosis helped her learn to live with it. Later, she thanked us for saving her from a fatal step that day.
The more a person talks about their illness, the easier it is for them to accept it. Conversely, the longer they keep it to themselves, the harder it is for them to live with it. It is important to understand that no one is immune to infection. Although the risk is higher for people who use injectable drugs, the possibility of infection cannot be excluded even for a healthy person.
Some patients, especially men, after losing their family due to their diagnosis, want to win back their loved ones. I had to work with one such man who struggled to let go of his family. During our conversation, he accepted his diagnosis and realized that his ex-wife had the right to end the relationship. Over time, he was able to let go of that thought.
Support from loved ones is not always sufficient, especially if the patient themselves cannot accept their illness.
Do the relatives of your patients come for consultations?
- Yes, they do. For example, recently the sisters of one patient approached me with questions about the possibility of communicating with him and the risk of infection. I explained that HIV is transmitted only through blood, breast milk, and sexually, and there are no other routes of transmission. Fear and anxiety are often related to ignorance, which leads to panic.
There have been cases where relatives, upon learning of the diagnosis, wanted to isolate the patient for fear of infection. Imagine the trauma this can cause! This is a consequence of basic illiteracy and fear of the disease. Therefore, it is so important to properly inform the public about HIV. For people over 35, fear is largely connected to the times when HIV was considered deadly. Such attitudes lead to isolation and fear even from loved ones.
Why do young people accept the diagnosis more easily?
- Young people are more informed about HIV/AIDS, but this does not mean that prevention of sexually transmitted infections is unnecessary. I have experience working with teenagers, and one meeting with high school girls stood out in particular. I was talking about women's health, but I saw that they were not interested. When I asked what they wanted to talk about, the answer was simple — contraception. Therefore, it is important to openly discuss sexual education with young people.
Regarding HIV, young people perceive the diagnosis more calmly, understanding that with proper therapy, they can lead a full life. At the same time, older patients often fear even intimacy with their children. Some stigmatize themselves so much that they consider themselves "dirty." I offered them to shake my hand or hug me to show that HIV is not transmitted through such actions, and gradually they began to accept their illness.
Can the disease be fought with informational methods?
- Definitely. Everyone should know the basic facts about HIV and how to avoid infection. Awareness of risks helps maintain health and understand that a person with HIV is not a carrier of "negative qualities." Psychological support can significantly improve the prognosis of the disease, providing motivation for life, which directly affects the effectiveness of treatment.
Anyone who has encountered HIV can seek psychological help at our center. Sometimes it is enough to dispel myths and provide objective information to help a person understand their situation and find paths to further life.
